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Over 15,667 reviews forAurora Basement Remodeling Companies from people just like you.

N

"There were tons of little corners and custom areas and yet every single
turn and joint is perfect.

also installed a couple of new cabinets" ...More
for us, scribing the counter tops to ensure a perfect fit. His attention
to detail and professionalism is second to none. we've used

's
services in the past and always are proud to recommend him.

-Laura P.

A

"I had 3 Contractors bid the Kitchen Rebuild Project.

, Owner of

was the last to bid but first to provide a schematic," ...More blue print of his proposal for our kitchen. We tweaked it over the next couple weeks and proceeded with the build.
The build went smoothly.

recommended Flooring and Counter Top contractors that were also awesome to work with.
My wife is extremely happy with the work

and his fine crew did and that's the bottom line!!
We'd use

again for other house projects and would highly recommend him to all our friends.

Get use out of every square inch of your house and add value to your home by finishing your basement space. Remodeling your basement can add a family room, in-home theater, kid's play area or a guest suites for the in-laws.

Inspiration & Ideas

Angie's Answers

An itemized list / cost breakdown, more often than not is used against the contractor when it is shared with other builders who will then beat it.

Good contractors use good people, and good people cost more. Just the cost of having the appropriate insurance / bond can be the difference between winning a job or losing it ot a 'lower bid'.

It is the rule of three; there is Good, Cheap and Fast. You can have any two: Good and Cheap, won't be Fast; Good and Fast, won't be Cheap; Cheap and Fast, won't be Good!

When comparing bids, it isn't the cheapest or the 'nicest' person you should select. You should understand why there is a large price difference (it shows there are gaps in your design program or what you have asked for specifically, which means there may be arguments later). If most of the bids are in line, and one is way high or way low, you want to know why before dismissing or selecting them.

There are two sides to this and everyone will have an opinion. I can tell you that from a contractor's point of view a customer that is up front with me is much easier to work with and the entire experience is much more pleasurable to all parties involved. If you treat your contractor like there's always something to hide from him expect the same in return. A good contractor is going to take your budget into consideration and make recommendations based on that budget. When possible, he's going to estimate the work 10-20% under your target to leave room for the unexpected. With any remodeling work, there's always the possibility and likelihood that there will be surprises that will have to be added such as mold damage, improper existing framing, etc. The cushion allows room for the project cost to grow without going over your budget. If no problems are found and you decide to spend that money some of the final finishes can be upgraded or other projects added.

Another good arguement for disclosing your budget to your contractor is to save you both some time and aggrevation. You may have a $10,000 budget and want $30,000 worth of work. Wouldn't you like to know your desires aren't possible before you get your hopes up or spend money on design fees for plans you can't afford? Likewise, the contractor doesn't want to put in the hours of calculating the estimate only to find out it was all for nothing or that he has to refigure for a much lower cost after pricing what you specified.

Be fair and honest with your contractor if you expect the same respect in return. You'll get a lot more out of it with the right contractor.

Herlonginc's answer stated that it is not the contractor's job to pay for materials and labor to do the job. I say baloney - a reputable, established contractor has the funds (or a business operations line of credit) to "carry" the job between interim or partial payments, each of which should be keyed to completion of distinct easily measured mileposts in the job, and for a homeowner I would say should be in not more than 20% increments for jobs exceeding a week or so. For shorter jobs, then an initial payment, 50% completion, and completion would be normal. His cost of carry funds is part of his cost of doing business, and is figured as part of his overhead.Bear in mind when he is buying materials and paying labor, his materials he typically pays for on a 10-30 day invoice, and his labor typically a week or two after they work, so he is not really "fronting" that much money if you are giving him weekly or biweekly interim payments, on a typical residential job.

If he does not have the funds to buy materials (excepting possibly deposit on special-order or luxury items, which still typically are 10-30 day invoiceable to him) and hire personnel then he is a fly-by-night operation, and he should not be bidding that size job. You should never (other than MAYBE an earnest deposit of not more than the LESSER of 10% or $5000) let the payments get ahead of the approved/inspected work progress - typically payment should be 10-20% BEHIND the progress, with at least 10% retained at the effective end of work until final inspections and completion of the final "punchlist".

That promotes rapid continuation of the work, discourages the all-too common nightmare of contractors taking on more work than they can handle so they leave your job for weeks or months to go work on someone else's job (frequently to start that someone else's new job so he can get the job), and does not leave you out a tremendous amount of cash if he does not finish and you have to hire another contractor to finish the job. Remember, if you have to hire a new contractor to finish the job, he will charge you a lot more than the original bid to finish someone else's unfinished mess.

This may seem cynical, but having started in the construction business about 50 years ago and seeing the shenanigans that a lot of contractors pull you cannot be too safe. You have to remember contractors are like any other people - I would say maybe 10% are outright crooks, another 25% or so will pull a fast one or overcharge if the opportunity presents itself, maybe 30% will do the work but not any better than they are forced to, about 25% are good conscientious reputable workmen, and the last 10% or so are really spectacular - conscientious, fair, and efficient craftsmen. This top 35% are the only ones you should have bidding in the first place. Therefore, only get bids from long-term reputable firms (so you shake out the marginal short-timers with less experience and also generally less ability to finish the job on budget and schedule), only those that have good RECENT references, and preferably with excellent word-of-mouth recommendation from people you know and trust. That way, you are starting right off with the cream of the crop, so hopefully whichever one bids low should be a good choice.

NEVER start with bids, then check the references of the low bidder - why even consider a vendor or contractor who you do not have faith in from the start ? Get references and short-list you possibles BEFORE you ask for bids.

Low bids - that is another matter - commonly the low bidder is NOT who you want, especially if he is significantly lower than several others, which might mean he is desperate for work, made a math error, or did not correctly figure the entire scope of work. You want a reasonable bid with someone you connect with and trust - that is worth a lot more in the success of the job than the absolute lowest bid.

You should always get a set of print and pull a permit when remodeling you home. It is a good thing that you want to be involved in your project. I do have some reservation about the electrical work. There is a lot at risk with doing the work yourself. If the house burns down you will never get the insurance money, unless your a certified electrician. Now of days 90% of home fires are blamed on electrical problems because the insurance company is to lazy and cheap to investigate the true problem. Also find out if the city you live in will allow you to perform the work. Make sure you coordinate your subs to have the proper time and space to perform their job. You don't want people working on top of each other. If you order all you materials make sure everything is there before you start your project. Have your subs check for proper and full items to be installed. Make sure every sub has a working set of prints. Make sure you have all the demo done before your subs show up to work. Schedule your plumber first, do any final framing or electrical work while you wait for inspection. Electrical inspection next followed by framing, insulation, and wallboard. All subs must get a final inspection on the job before you (the GC) can call in your final inspection.

Basement Remodeling reviews in Aurora

A

Rating

“

Great experience, from day one to the day the project was completed. I dealt with

the majority of the time and he made it all much easier than I expected. I have always been scared because you always hear about these projects gone wrong, but I have no complaints. Almost everything went as planned and when there was a change ...More I was notified immediately along with an explanation. The finished product looked amazing and most importantly how I wanted it to look. They did everything in their power to give me want I wanted. I would definitely use them again. ”

- ursula V.

A

Rating

“

This was our first significant remodeling experience utilizing a contractor. I was impressed by all of the positive reviews that

had received, so I put them on my bid list for our Hall Bathroom remodel. Although they weren’t the lowest bid, they were the most detailed and thorough and gave me confidence that they were ...More the correct bid to take.

differentiates themselves by being very process oriented which sets the project up for success. They utilize a

web based project planning tool that required our input and approvals. This eliminates ALL communication problems so there is absolute clarity around what is occurring and when it is occurring. It is

but effective and allows

to “do what they say they are going to do” which eliminates the main project problem of a vague work scope and verbal agreements allowed by other contractors.

has excellent material providers that are truly creative and gave ideas and suggestions to make the most of the material selection opportunity. Once the project started

assigned

as our Project Manager, and she did a fantastic job of scheduling and coordinating all of the various trades and communicated virtually every day on what to expect with each progressive step of the project. She went above and beyond the scope in one case just to ensure the work was done correctly. Upon removal of the bathtub it was discovered that there was no exterior insulation in the area (no wonder the drains froze in sub-zero weather) and

communicated the issue to me immediately and got the personnel on-site within an hour to install the insulation and perform the surprise relocation of a plumbing vent pipe and a HVAC vent. This probably added a half day to the overall project but the additional cost was nominal. After all rough-in was completed their talented in-house employee

performed the detailed tile work and finish carpentry. He is truly a craftsman. Overall the project was completed several days early and resulted in our hall bathroom being the nicest room in the house!

,

&

were a pleasure to work with and I highly recommend them to provide a smooth and uncomplicated remodeling project.”

- Craig C.

A

Rating

“

We ultimately chose the

fossilized eucalyptus click flooring for our
10’ x 11’ room plus a very large closet. My friend and I (two, inexperienced 31yo
females) laid the flooring in about 7-8 hours when my husband was out of town. This
amount of time included using a jigsaw for the length-cuts (this ...More took a while;
we used a miter for the short cuts). The battery for the jigsaw was
consistently dying. We eventually gave up on the battery
and made a trip to Home Depot, charged the new batteries, and had a lunch
break. Without all those obstacles, it would have been a much faster process
(especially if you have a table saw or circular saw). This entire project was
easy – so easy.
They are more than we could even imagine – we do not have any scratches on
them after 8 months. We have been careful, but have had accidents! For example,
I recently decided to add quarter-round to our

baseboards. The existing
baseboards’ backs were covered in glue and I had to hammer very hard. There
were several times the hammer slipped onto the floor with force! We have
absolutely no dents. I would not suggest taking a hammer to the floor, but
every accident has been without consequence.
I have also dripped paint on our brand new floors. Wet, it wiped right up.
Later, I found a few drops that I was able to scratch up with my fingernail. None
of this paint got in the cracks – so for that I was lucky; I feel that would be
more tricky. None of my statements are suggesting that you should not remain
cautious with your floors, just confirming how well they stand up to the life
in our household.
If it even needs mentioning, I would and do recommend

to all my
friends and family. The ease of the website, the customer-service, and the product
are undeniably a superior package for this kind of project.

”

- Samantha T.

N

Rating

“

Contractor is the best in the industry. Price and professionalism. projecy went very smooth and if you have any questions contractor (owner) is always there
excellent contractor”

- Joann H.

D

Rating

“

The Good:

was responsive to questions, etc. throughout the whole process. Job was completed roughly on time, but we had some minor changes, so not sure how much that effected it.
The Bad:
We were just really disappointed in the overall quality of work. We expected the finished product to look professional ...More and well done. But it was obvious that they were more interested in finishing quickly than they were in quality. Consistent missed cuts in wood, mismeasurements, seams that don't match up, and lots and lots of nail filler/putty to fill the gaps. Polyurethane applied to doors and trim was slathered on with drip

everywhere. The wrong color nail filler used throughout.
Our punch list was a mile long. We just couldn't believe that you would call that 'done'. He did come back and fix a lot of things on our list, but even then it was obvious that we were just going to have to settle on that level of quality. It was just never going to look as professional as our first floor (Veridian home).

”

- Greg S.

F

Rating

“

On

18, 2014 my husband

and I began
contract review with Pat

to purchase his fully renovated house at 102
West Main Street, Freehold, NJ with a closing date of October 1, 2014; at which
point he promised the house would be completed six weeks from the date that ...More he
secured the funding to complete it. As he
was unable to provide a list of finishes, I provided him with a listing of each
item to be used in the house inclusive of their manufacturer identification
numbers. As we chose the option of a fully renovated house, I felt it was
necessary to provide this listing so that there were not any questions as to
what we were expecting and also to insure that Pat

understood what
work and finances it would take to complete the transaction. On August 13, 2014 attorney review was
finally concluded, as the process was delayed due to Pat

’s difficulty
in securing funding. Despite our best efforts we did not get a progress report
on the house until September 11, 2014 at which point he stated that he was
still working on securing funding and needed an executed contract to do so. He
began work on the house October 6, 2014, six days after our original close date.
As we had only contracted our temporary
living arrangements until our expected close date, we had no alternative option
than to move to a hotel room with our son and two dogs for the expected few
more weeks until for closing. We were promised that work would be completed,
and our closing would happen before December 24, 2014. As construction
progressed, it became apparent that Pat

was not following the
contracted list of finishes that was provided and agreed upon, instead
replacing them for items that were more cost effective for him. Construction was moving very slowly and we
repeatedly requested a schedule. In mid-November, as again no work was being
done, we stated that we would be cancelling the contract unless Pat

signed an extension of the contract to his closing date of choice, and provided
us with a detailed schedule. This was
done, and it was agreed that the house with renovations, was to be completed the
week of January 18, 2015 with a closing by the end of January. On December 22,
2014, Pat

requested a mortgage commitment letter despite the fact that
a prequalification and credit approval letter had already been provided to
him. As an appraisal is necessary to
obtain a mortgage commitment letter, we ordered one for early January, although
we felt uncomfortable doing so as the house was nowhere near completion. On
January 16, 2015 the appraisal was returned at $300,000, $75,000 under
contract. There are numerous things that
were not completed that effected the appraisal.
The finished basement of 990sqft was not added at the Tax Assessors
Office and Pat

was the only person who could do so, and also, as
mentioned before, the proper finishes were not installed. These items would
have changed the appraisal enough so that we could close on the house, but Pat

refused to take care of these issues but instead decided to list the
house for sale on the open

despite the fact that we were appealing the
appraisal. It was devastating as we had been waiting a total of six months for
this house, at great expense to us. On
February 17, 2015 the appraisal was reviewed and increased to $325,000. At that
time, Pat

canceled the contract. On February 20, 2015, it is believed
that Pat

moved a family member into the house. In hindsight, we feel he
used our contract to finish the house to his liking for his family member, inexcusable
and morally wrong behavior. We spent $29,200, all wasted waiting for something
Pat

knew was not going to happen. Unfortunately, he used us, but I
hope he never gets a

to use another customer again. People need to be
protected from unsavory people like Pat

. ”

- Stacy A.

B

Rating

“

I learned about

through angies list and I decided to include them among three other builders on my complete basement finish project. From the very beginning they were very professional and were quick to follow up on my emails.

, the lead designer, came to the house and we went through what I wanted done ...More and he came back with a very detailed design a few days later. There were some things I wanted changed so we went back and forth over the design over a course of a couple of days until we had a final vision for what I wanted. I took a half day off work and stopped in at their design studio and we went through all the fine level details that allowed

to come up with a very granular quote for the whole project. I decided to do the finish work myself (It is winter and I need something to do), but still leave the bulk of the work to

, so we subtracted some items and came up with the final contract price of the whole project ended up being in-line for what I expected.
I've seen other reviewers complain about their price, but to be honest you really do get what you pay for. This is not a bunch of fly-by night guys nor do they sub everything out to subs. Everyone on the team is a

employee and you can tell they care about the finished product. Also, all of the trades were very knowledge and in incorporated my desires into what they were doing. I had a PM assigned to my project and he was very communicative about what was going on each day and always answered my calls. When I had issues with some minor details he ensured they were corrected to my satisfaction. Also, when I waivered on choices he was very knowledgeable on offering sound advice.
As far as construction process goes when they came to the house they set out drop clothes to try and contain material making its way into the living area. That worked great until we hit the drywall phase and dust was unavoidable. Not there their fault, it is part of the process, but at least they were not in the basement sanding with the door open. Everything was going ahead of schedule until we hit an issue with the wrong cabinets being ordered for the basement bar area. The original plan called for 36 long cabinets were in the first cut, but 42 made it into the final cut. I don't remember changing it, but I signed off on the final selections. In the end we split the costs and this ended up pushing the final completion out by a month.
Overall I am pleased with how it turned out and I would recommend them again. I just would caution anyone on here to finalize things down to a very granular level. You are signing a contract: Nothing more nothing less. ”

- Michael C.

A

Rating

“

It was very nice experience working with

and I am looking forward to renovate my kitchen soon in the future with Basic Kitchen company!!”